Early Risers.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Sunshine and blue sky but it may become cloudier with some rain this afternoon.

I've always found it easy to talk to people which is probably just as well given my career firstly as a salesman and then in management. I'm friendly with many people but those I class as real friends are not so numerous and as we get older sadly becoming fewer. I'm glad to say that since being on here I've met a some people who have become good friends.(Both virtual and actual)

My eyes were tested yesterday and all is OK although for the first time in three years I need a slight prescription change. I suppose that is inevitable as I get older.

A couple of hours domestic tasks to be undertaken and then the day is mine.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[TheQ]

That's Annoying, when I went to the Edge, while having this page set up and most of the below typed in IE, it shut down IE...

 

Here We go Again,

 

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Here....

 

Wakey-Wake-aaaay! now that's going back a bit, The Billy Cotton Band show on the light Progamme on Sundays...

Well I did wakey -wakey, after about 5 hours, but luckily got some more sleepy sleepy, about 1.5 hours on the Sofa..

 

I've always been an outsider, Blessed with a first name that I'm the only one in the UK with it ( and probably the world), my middle name only 175 people in the UK have, when every other boy was Mathew, Mark Luke or John or a King somewhere in the UK, life didn't get a good start. Then coupled with moving around 26 times, I've very rarely had friends, mostly just aquaintences. The longest I've lived anywhere is here, 17 years. But I'm on my 3rd job during those 17 years..

 

As for Jobs, outside of training I've always worked on my own, even in the RAF, Where I was the only one working on an equipment in a shift of 25 people. Today I'm sat on my own in this lab for 90% of the time...

 

Somehow I ended Up as Chairman of a National Sailing Association, I hated it, It wasn't difficult (I had a very able Association Secretary), But meetings, discussing things, making the odd speech, I hated, I've vowed never to do that again, I'll Be a worker, doing the PAT Testing or physical work for the MRC or Sailing Clubs, but not anything that involves meetings or telling others to do things..

 

Talking of doing things, It's likely my MRC is going to have a club open day in November, unfortunately they can only get the hall on a Sunday, and from October the 21st through to Mid March I'll be sailing in ever decreasing circles on Sundays. More stuff to bore you with..

 

Hermes is being somewhat glacial in bringing me the sails, trouble is, they are likely to arrive today, and SWMBO will be out teaching painting...

 

06/09/2018  00:45  At the customers local depot 
05/09/2018  01:59  At the national sorting hub 
03/09/2018  17:07  Entered the Hermes network 
28/08/2018  08:34  Dropped off at the ParcelShop 
27/08/2018  16:18  Order placed

 

I could actually have walked there and back quicker in my younger days, the joints would complain somewhat now, 26 miles a day.

 

Well, I've been processing the results of the Major systems overnight cross check and it seems OK, I'd better go tell the users..

 

Time too.. find the next thing to measure..

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It’s a dull start to the day, but hopefully we won’t have any rain. Once Sheila has left for her Zumba class, I’ll head off for the dentist, hopefully all will be ok and it will be a clean and polish.

 

After that, I will return home and eat my breakfast, then make a fruit tea loaf, before heading out to the workshop for the rest of the day.

 

Have a good day folks, back later.

[45156]

Morning All

 

Sorry - I posted yesterday, but appears to have disappeared into cyberspace - so sorry about that.

 

Generic greetings are, of course, on offer to all who ail or celebrate.

 

Tablet ordered from Currys last Friday arrived yesterday afternoon.  Tablet cover (Curry's don't stock one) ordered on Saturday on Amazon arrived on Tuesday morning - work that one out if you can.  Will pick up the former this morning, once it has been set up by their "expert"  (who has probably only just left school), then unite it with its cover when I get home.

 

Another day, another fodder run.

 

Back later/tomorrow

Regards to All

Stewart

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a rather dreich piece of the Charente, the farmers may not be happy but we do need a bit of moisture.   Yesterday I managed to get quite a bit of muddling done and have posted pics on the layout thread.   Then in the evening I took Beth to a folk club about 15 miles away.   A good evening was had and she has declared that she now knows the way and in the future it is her evening out.  Some of the singers/players were actually quite good but some demonstrated the triumph of self delusion over reality.   I even met a fellow from Blackburn!!!!

 

Not sure what the day will bring but I might well be doing some carpentry this afternoon.  We were given a large carving of an owl as a leaving present, about 2' tall and carved out of a piece of tree trunk.   It had obviously been green wood and it has developed a rather large split as it's dried out over the summer.  A  friend made some nice long wedges of oak, there are plenty of off cuts of this round here due to the barrel making industry.  These were glued and wedged in yesterday and when the glue is dry I've got to start shaping them.   I should enjoy the task.

 

Like Q I seemed to gravitate towards working on my own and spent a large proportion of my time in the Police working solo, first as a community Constable, then running an IT project then as an Inspector where though I had a shift of 4o people I was alone a lot of the time.   I've always been happy with my own company (I suppose someone has to be) but also enjoy socialising.   It's a good thing that everyone is different.

 

Regards to all and b=good wishes to Tony and Aditi, I hope that the final journey home goes well and that the holiday has done you good.

 

Jamie

[Black Marlin]

Greetings all, and hello to Jason Isaacs.

This morning my various social media accounts were lit up like Christmas trees with chatter about the New York Times's anonymous op-ed. Naturally, I read it as soon as I could. Adhering strictly to the no politics rule, I don't propose to discuss its content, but I do find it remarkable that we live in times in which such an article could be written at all. I have never read anything like it. It's less an editorial than a psychological warfare operation!

Today will be occupied with reviewing material intended for people on the other side of the world for whom English is a second language. This kind of thing always requires a bit more thought to edit. If I succeed, though, I may reward myself with a digital visit to Hattons... 

Kind regards secretly thwarting the (allegedly) amoral, ill-informed, half-baked and reckless;
Tinkety-tonk, etc.,
Gavin

[Simon G]

Morning all,

A bright if cool and breezy day here so far today. SWMBO and a friend (and friend’s dog) have gone off for the day - on the Ratty! I am pottering around the garden, then plan to drop in on a friend who recently had a heart bypass operation. Another job for the day is to order a new laptop and digital projector from Curry’s. The existing ones are ancient and rather feeble, so will be looking for a combination with HD capability for our routine presentations and film shows.

[Horsetan]

I've given up trying to get the CX booked in at Brodie's and instead French Car Specialists, not far away in Friern Barnet, have offered to take the car in on a weekday and assess the costs - with the warning that if all goes well, I'm still looking at about £600 worth of servicing.....

 

This is what happens when you don't have any service history and have no idea when the standard tasks were last done....

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Bright and sunny this morning with a few clouds but it should stay dry. Not a lot to do today except to take the stuff down to the charity shop, theres so much that it might take two or even three journeys. Thats about it, C&C's to all that require them, be back later.

[Horsetan]

…. I'm still looking at about £600 worth of servicing.....

 

...which is about three times what Brodie quoted me, but Brodie is like being on the waiting list for an exclusive golf club where you'll never be admitted as a member.

[Black Marlin]

For those of you who like the pictures of the lupins/delphiniums/triffids on my old layout that I posted yesterday, you can see further pictures on that layout's thread here. 

[Ian Abel]

BIN day, all BINs placed "correctly" last evening in anticipation of early pickup - that didn't happen!

Forgot that with the holiday on Monday, pickup won't be until tomorrow this week, DOH!

 

Uneventful yesterday, just rolling along.

Today have a "catch up" call with my boss as it's been 5 years at this present job.

 

Weather report is that it's VERY Autumnal. Just 10 though sunny when I got the newspaper in this AM, and only looking at 22 for a high. Supposed to get back into the higher temps next week though.

 

Have a good day.

[TheQ]

My sails Have arrived (12:49, so just after SWMBO went out to teach painting),  I have recorded on Hermes to use an outbuilding for my deliveries, So they've sent me a photo of where they've placed the parcel.... My trailer (covered).

 

In 3/4 an hour I can set out for home to then see how they are. I am stopping off on the way to drop in a spare wheel/ tyre for repair.. The wheel is for......My trailer (covered)...

 

That reminds me, I need to start designing trolleys for the moving of parallel bits of metal in an exhibition setting, that will fit said trailer (covered). 

 

My Boss dropped in to arrange my 6th monthly review and how I felt etc, So I said "how about now, Oh that's over then" we both laughed and he went away to more important things. To which I've not seen him all day, as his American Boss is visiting (on technical matters).

 

I've been scratching around to find small things to do all day, as with me being off tomorrow, I can't start anything Big. So I've just dragged in Next weeks major system, but that is under development and not needed tomorrow.

 

Much research has been going on about rudders / shafts and bearings, basically my rudder is vastly over built, So once I refit it, it will do for now. Something less heavy will be built in the future..  Carbon Fibre tube though expensive, is not prohibitive £50 against a £5 for steel or £20 stainless. For a 1 M Shaft

 

Right,  half an hour to go, I'd better tidy up and then go do the time sheets..

[AndrewC]

Afternoon all from the boring borough. Just reporting in to say that after 43 nights we've got a functioning bedroom again and a real bed. Good news for us, not so good for our chiropractor who has been coining it in over the past 6 weeks. 

 

And now a small rant. Has anyone else noticed that we now have to pre-plan our lives further and further in advance? Last week we had to book our Christmas dinner on the Bluebell as there were few seats left. August ffs!. SWMBO had to book and pay for her opening day Chelsea Flower show tickets already. That's for the end of May 2019. Every year they open the sale a bit earlier. About 5 years ago tickets didn't go on sale to RHS members until December, and the general riff raff in January. Concert tickets are the same. Last spring we almost missed Jethro Tull because we'd bought the tickets a year in advance and had almost forgotten about it. 

 

Travel is not much better. Want to pop to Brussels or Rotterdam for a weekend at the last minute? Forget it unless you have deep pockets. Eurostar tix now go on sale 100 days in advance. Thalys is 90 so you have to book them separately.  If you don't book in the first week you are looking at paying a lot more as there fewer and fewer cheap seats. For example £70 return is what we paid back in May for later this month to Brussels and €65 to and back to Rotterdam. If we wanted to go this weekend at the last minute the cheapest is £109 out and £79 back to Brussels and €142 for the Rotterdam leg on Thalys. Even things like beer fests are pushing early bird ticket purchases. I've already had emails telling me to book now for next April. AARRGGHH. 

[Tony_S]

We parked here last night

Image needs rotating!

Edited September 6, 2018 by Tony_S

[roundhouse]

Afternoon all from the boring borough. Just reporting in to say that after 43 nights we've got a functioning bedroom again and a real bed. Good news for us, not so good for our chiropractor who has been coining it in over the past 6 weeks. 

 

And now a small rant. Has anyone else noticed that we now have to pre-plan our lives further and further in advance? Last week we had to book our Christmas dinner on the Bluebell as there were few seats left. August ffs!. SWMBO had to book and pay for her opening day Chelsea Flower show tickets already. That's for the end of May 2019. Every year they open the sale a bit earlier. About 5 years ago tickets didn't go on sale to RHS members until December, and the general riff raff in January. Concert tickets are the same. Last spring we almost missed Jethro Tull because we'd bought the tickets a year in advance and had almost forgotten about it. 

 

Travel is not much better. Want to pop to Brussels or Rotterdam for a weekend at the last minute? Forget it unless you have deep pockets. Eurostar tix now go on sale 100 days in advance. Thalys is 90 so you have to book them separately.  If you don't book in the first week you are looking at paying a lot more as there fewer and fewer cheap seats. For example £70 return is what we paid back in May for later this month to Brussels and €65 to and back to Rotterdam. If we wanted to go this weekend at the last minute the cheapest is £109 out and £79 back to Brussels and €142 for the Rotterdam leg on Thalys. Even things like beer fests are pushing early bird ticket purchases. I've already had emails telling me to book now for next April. AARRGGHH.

 

Sometimes it's a con as prices often go down after a while but if its something you really want yo fo thrn do you risk waiting. We have found this with flights and hotels.

[chrisf]

And now a small rant. Has anyone else noticed that we now have to pre-plan our lives further and further in advance? 

 

Since you ask, yes.  Hotels are the random factor.  I am staying in London the night before I travel to Switzerland in December.   Last year I booked my room in April and paid £52.  This year the thieving b@st@rds wanted £78 for the same date.  I hung on and hung on waiting for special offers.  My patience paid off - the week before last I paid £47.  The hotel industry is very good at spotting surges in demand.  One has only to look at prices in Wakefield for the Scalefour North weekend and it is easy to pay twice what the hotel is worth.  Heaven help anyone wanting rooms in central Bristol over Pride weekend in July.  The rates are eye-watering and I have every reason to believe that they will not drop.  In that case I have chosen an edge of city hotel at a good saving and hope that my gen on bus services to and from the city is accurate.

 

I am reminded that I need soon to check out advance rail tickets from MK to Manchester for the exhibition in December.  For the past few years I have got a good deal.  If I don't get one, I don't go because driving is not a realistic option.

 

It's a sign of the times, I fear.

 

Chris

Edited September 6, 2018 by chrisf

[TheQ]

Tyres repaired,

Sails extracted from trailer,

Tyres placed in trailer,

Sails unwrapped,

Sails laid out on grass,

Sails complete with battons, and jib sheets.

Sails in better condition than expected, date 1982.

Happy bunny I am...

 

Strangely the maker of the sails, when he made them, used live about 100miles away. He now lives 4miles away, his workshop being in the same country village industrial estate as the MRC.

[Tony_S]

Sous la Manche!

[The Lurker]

Greetings from Canterbury where I am watching Kent play Morthants who need 320 to win . An entertaining day’s play so far and a few pints of Spitfire

[newbryford]

Golf was golfed.

My bit went well but the rest of the team were inconsistent. Four man team and I scored 25 of the team tally of 50......

 

Currently hanging around at the UKs highest airport.

Flight to be flighted......

 

Probably won't catch up later

 

Have a good Friday folks.

 

Cheers

Mick

Edited September 6, 2018 by newbryford

[Barry O]

enjoy your flight from LBA then Mick.  

 

Layout started ( thread coming on line tonight....)

 

tea has been cooked and a bit of eyelid inspection undretaken.

 

Been sunny/raining/sunny/cloudy on and off all day.

 

Off to start the layout thread..

 

Baz

[roundhouse]

Currently hanging around at the UKs highest airport.

Flight to be flighted......

 

Nice airport but didnt enjoy Jet2.com bucket seats and delay due to squeezing in more seats leading to no room for carry on bags. WIll use the airprot again but not the airline.

[bbishop]

Evening all from a hotel in Moscow,

 

I've caught up with events in Ambridge but not really on ER, except thar Chris is having a bit of a crisis.  Don't panic, old son, you are one of the nicest persons on this big, wide world.  Lead your life as you want, but keep in touch with those who appreciate you for whom you are.

 

So far I've done Finland, Estonia and the tourist side of Moscow.  Railway museum tomorrow, then overnight to Latvia, Sweden briefly  then home.  See some of you next Friday.

 

Bill

[Barry O]

Strange, we have always managed carry ons when using Jet 2 for holiday travel...and I think it depends on the particular type of plane.. The B757s are OK but I have heard that the leased Titan Airways one has a different seat layout...

 

Baz